Driftveil
by bloodyrosethorns
Summary: A chase through the market in the Driftveil


'So this is it. Wonder why I never bothered…?'

Looking around, I spot several varying crowds surrounding the outdoor screens showcasing an ongoing battle. Females and males were sitting on another's shoulders, gesticulating wildly, lurching dangerously and hollering their heads off (Lance! Lance! Lance!'), their anchors either not caring, holding onto them tighter or letting them fall off for hitting them one too many times with their knees. Sodas and burgers wave about, splashing a few children and smaller pokemon darting through legs in order to get closer to the screens. Vanillite masquerading as Castelia Cones (of which I'm wondering where the ice cream stand selling them is). Up above are plentiful of flying type and even drifblims and drifloons filling the skies; some seem intent on carting off unsuspecting children or even food baskets. A few parents had the foresight to release their teams to watch their children. There are even Fangirls fighting each other for the 'right' to crowd around the participants of the tournament with high-pitched screeching coming from their direction ('CYNTHIA! WE LOVE YOU!')! All in all, it was chaotic.

'…Right. That's why.'

Scratching my head, I decide to do what I came here for: find my furret. Last I saw him, he was blurring by with a hat. More than likely, he stole it from someone for the giggles, but by Mew does he get in trouble-! It'll be difficult to even catch a glimpse of him, what with all these bodies up and-

'KYAAA!'

I swung around to caught a glimpse of cream, brown, and red sprint towards the Driftveil Bridge being followed by a streak of sparking yellow. The more intelligent of the Fangirls spotted my behavior and were steadily marching towards me. 'Frick this-!' Picking a ball from my belt, I hurl it ahead of me and jump on, a large red and black striped dog with an ivory mane, tail and joint tufts furiously wagging her backside whilst hunched down, barely giving myself time to pull down my goggles when she races towards the troublemaker, Fangirl chasing us atop her sawsbuck. I urge my pokemon faster.

'Come back here you _**Thief**_!'

'Sly! Give back the hat!'

At my voice, the blurs' ears twitch and twist, only for the creamy brown one to slow fractionally, angle himself towards the outdoor market and dash straight for it. The yellow pokemon nearly pounces on my furret but catches empty space instead, losing precious seconds. A short whistle has my arcanine bounding forwards to pick the bright pokemon up by the scruff, tossing it up-and-back to land perfectly on my shoulders. (We've had practice with Sly.)

We continue giving chase whilst evading Horn Attacks from behind meant to stop us. Sly bounces through the market stalls with scary efficiency, almost as if he's been practicing and just waiting for this moment. _"Knowing him, he was." _

Ignoring that thought, I maneuver Yuuki through the market and apologize to various stall owners; luckily we didn't break a thing. We even manage to lose the Fangirl in the incense section! Seems her sawsbuck is intoxicated. My nose wrinkles. _"I don't even __**want**__ to know what Sly's been shoving near Yuuki's nose," _flits through.

At the other end of the market, Sly pauses to look back, smirk and Taunt the pokemon hitching a ride on me which causes them to grip my collar tighter.

Yuuki sped up.

Furret remembers that even though he's faster, his teammate hasn't stopped running and it was only a matter of time now that he'll be caught so with that, he scurries onto the bridge.

A light tap hit my head so I glance back at the pokemon who'd been chasing Sly. 'Chu pika cha.' The yellow one was a pikachu! I hadn't seen one in a while. He, for his tail wasn't heart-shaped (so at least he wasn't one of Sly's admirers), points up ahead where someone was standing with a purple cat by his side and the fading flash of a Teleport. It wasn't the right shade for a liepard nor there wasn't any yellow I could spot. I did notice a two-pronged fork at the end of its tail though, as well as Sly surrounded by a Psychic with the male plucking back his hat, so I had Yuuki slow into a trot and eventually stop near the other trainer. As I pick Sly up by the scruff to hand over to Yuki, the espeon's eyes stop glowing. Pikachu quickly rubs against me before he hops onto his trainer's shoulders.

'…So. Sorry about that.' I gesture at his hat. He waves a hand to show no hard feelings. At that I finally dismounted my fire type. (If he had been the type to take offense, well, running only seemed natural, no?) I pet her side and she throws Sly onto her back - who begins to sulk. Her nose nudges me enthusiastically so I let her off to play. The trainer in front of me tells his pokemon to do the same; we watch them relax for a bit.

Peeking about, the bridge is clear of anyone save us; probably still at the tournament or market, then. The bridge was shiny, the ocean calm, and there were swanna-shaped clouds in the sky- 'Those swanna must be quite vain.' A breathy chuckle came from my left then felt a gloved hand on my head. My face burned at the contact but it _steamed _when I realized I spoke aloud. I look up, as one does when accustomed to doing so their entire life, with nonchalance. (If I had looked straight, I would have been reacquainted with his vest.)

Now that I stare at it, the hat seems incredibly familiar-that near invisible stitching looks a bit frayed and a few spots held the slightest bits of lemon fur. He tilts his head closer and dark locks shift in front of familiar ember eyes squinting in amusement.

'Hi.'

-qB


End file.
